Will take poison if bill passed in present form: Sharad Yadav

Strident in his opposition to the Women's Reservation Bill, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav on Friday said he would "consume poison" in the House if it was passed in its present form.

"We may not have the numbers but I will consume poison and die here but not allow the passage of the women's reservation bill," he said.

Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, he accused the Congress of indulging in "tokenism" over the issue of reservation for women.

"Congress party has been resorting to tokenism by appointing a woman as President and as Speaker," Yadav said adding that the real need was to liberate women who belong to the backward and most backward classes.